Paiber’s Tears As Valletta Return To Premier League

Apr 16 2025

Photographer Matthias Brancaleone captured a powerful moment of passion and emotion during Valletta FC’s final match of the season last Saturday — a 3-0 victory over Marsa that sealed their return to the Maltese Premier League.

The match marked the end of a long and determined campaign for Valletta, who were relegated last year for the first time in their history. In the emotional footage, club captain Brandon Paiber is seen taking a moment for himself, overcome with feeling after helping his side bounce back to the top flight.

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Paiber, born in Argentina but a key player for the Malta national team, chose loyalty over comfort by staying with Valletta despite interest from Premier League clubs. His decision came with personal risks, including the possibility of losing his spot in the national squad due to playing in the Challenge League.

Reflecting on the journey, Brancaleone said, “In life, you meet people who share the same passion as you. This season, I got to know Brandon Paiber better, and we both understood what this journey meant to us — each from our own perspective. What a moment it was. You deserve so much, Paiber. You stayed with Valletta Football Club, fully aware that it might cost you your spot on the National Team.”

Following the win at the National Stadium, celebrations erupted across Republic Street in Valletta, where thousands of supporters filled the streets in a sea of white, chanting and cheering late into the night — a powerful reminder of why Valletta’s fanbase is among the most passionate in Maltese football.

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Source: Matthias Brancaleone

American Impressed By McDonald’s In Malta

Apr 16 2025

Christian Grossi’s Malta adventure continues, this time with the American travel influencer being impressed by the local McDonald’s.

In a video shared to social media, Grossi expressed how impressed he was by the quality of Matla’s McDonald’s and appreciating the tea he was served.

@christian.grossi

Imagine if we had this back in the USA 🇲🇹 #fyp #tellme #traveltiktok #backpacking #malta #mcdonalds

♬ original sound – Grossi

Particularly, the ceramic tea pot that the tea was served in. He was also impressed by the amount of other treats available at the McCafe area – with cookies and treats that he couldn’t even name.

“I just expected it to be a regular takeaway tea, you know. It’s a peppermint tea at McDonald’s. This is like a five star hotel tea bag at McDonald’s.”

“You know why we would never have this in the US”, he asked about the tea pot. “It’s because we would all steal them and take them home. I’m thinking about doing it here in Malta.”

#MaltaDaily

15,089 Sheep & 6,451 Goats In Malta & Gozo 2025

Apr 16 2025

In a response to a parliamentary question tabled by PN MP Janice Chetcuti, Minister Anton Refalo revealed that there were 15,089 sheep and 6,451 goats in Malta and Gozo as of 2025.

This amounts to a total of 21,540, with the data being acquired from the National Livestock Database.

Last year, there were 14,548 sheep and 6,671 goats, signalling a slight increase for sheep and decrease for goats from 2024.

The data goes back to 2014, when there were 10,884 sheep and 4,770 goats on the islands.

#MaltaDaily

21,203 Vehicles Registered & Licensed In 2024

Apr 16 2025

Responding to a parliamentary question tabled by PN MP Mark Anthony Sammut, Minister for Transport Chris Bonett reported that 21,203 vehicles were registered and licensed last year (2024).

Of these, 18,244 were Maltese whereas 2,959 were foreigners (of both EU & Non-EU origin).

The Minister specified that it is not possible to identify which of those issued for foreign drivers were EU or Non-EU as the information is not collected during the registration.

The amount in 2024 shows a decrease in vehicle registrations, with the year 2023 seeing 24,403 vehicles in total registered.

Of these, 18,853 were for Maltese whereas 5,550 were for foreigners.

The data goes back to 2018, when a total of 27,124 vehicles were registered, with 23,953 were for Maltese and 3,171 for foreigners.

#MaltaDaily